Because the short-film genre was such a hit at both the 2009 and 2010 festivals, this year's event will again showcase a series of shorts. None is longer than 15 minutes, said Mary Daniel, chairman of the Brookfield Arts Commission.

The 2011 BFF, "Shorts and to the Point," will include 10 pieces that have been nominated for or received awards from major competitions and festivals, such as Sundance. Daniel said commission members viewed 75 to 100 films before choosing the ones to be shown Saturday. Among them are "The Crush" and "Mr. Okra."

" `The Crush' has a child (in it) who has a crush on a schoolteacher and does not care for the boyfriend she has become engaged to," Daniel said. "Events proceed so he is able to discourage her, but the boyfriend's behavior kind of does the job for him."

Related Stories

"Mr. Okra" is a slice of Americana and shows the perseverance of the human spirit.

"It's about a vegetable seller in New Orleans who goes through the Ninth Ward; it's in the area that was most dramatically affected by Katrina -- that's his home and neighborhood," she said. "His decorated truck is part of life in New Orleans. When I lived there 30 years ago, my daughter heard the bells of the fruit truck coming through. `He's here! He's here!,' she'd say. (Not Mr. Okra, but a different seller)."

The film tells how Mr. Okra lost his truck because of Katrina and how the community raised funds to replace it.

"It's delightful," Daniel said. "With all that's going on in Japan now and the dignity of how that population has handled itself, you have to be reminded that no matter what, you have to carry on and be grateful for the day. That is `Mr. Okra's' message."

The first screening will be at 1 p.m., followed by a second at 4 and the last at 8.

The program is not rated and is intended for an adult audience. Admission is $10 and refreshments will be served during intermission.

Ray Dori, vice chairman of the Brookfield Arts Commission, said the festival was such a hit last year, they had to turn away 20 to 30 people before the evening show.

"We felt so bad about that," he said, adding the BFF is the best deal in town.

"The earlier show allows seniors to get out before it gets too dark," he explained. "And $10 is a modest fee.

"For that you get two tickets. One treats you to a free glass of wine, red or white. The second one is for a host of door prizes.

"Then, there's a table of hors d'oeuvres.

"That's all part of it, and you didn't even see anything yet."

The way it works is about five shorts are screened in the first hour.

"These are award-winning shorts," Dori said. "These are the best -- not things I would do on the street.

"Then we have a half-hour break. People want to talk about it; some (films) are controversial. And you can buy a BFF T-shirt if you want. Then we go for the second half and you see the remainder of the films."

Seating is limited and reservations are suggested.

Reservations can be made through Friday, March 25, by calling Ann Amorossi at 203-775-2895.